Rabbi Schneider - Confronting the Fears We Face

TOPICS: Be Strong and Courageous, Fear

The Word of God is living and active. It's a sword. The Word of God is living and active and sharper than a two-edged sword, able to pierce between the division of soul and spirit and the bone and its marrow. It's the Word of God, beloved, that created you. It's the Word of God that caused the heavens and earth to come into existence and it's the Word of God, beloved, that's become our sword to defeat the lies of the enemy. You see, fears are made of thoughts. Fears are made of thoughts. In fact the Word of God itself is also an expression of thought. What is a word? You don't have a Word without a thought behind the word so that the word is a verbal expression of the thought.

In the same way that God has a word, which is the expression of his thought, Satan also, beloved, is a spirit who moves in the realm of thought and the way he brings God's people into fear is through wrong thoughts. We allow our minds to be taken captive by an enemy that pollutes them. God wants to redeem us, spirit, soul, mind and body, and we need, beloved, to make up our mind that before we die we'll be free from fear. Jesus said seven times, "He that overcomes will inherit these things," and part of overcoming is overcoming fear. As I've said in my previous broadcasts, a hundred and ten times the Lord commands us in Scripture not to be afraid.

This particular series is called, from the Book of Joshua, chapter 1, verse 9, Be Strong and Courageous, Do not be Afraid. God wants you to win. He wants you to overcome fear. I encourage you to get this entire series. We're going to pick up now where we left off last week. I talked to you about some of the specific fears. Some of you that are watching this broadcast, you're afraid of getting sick, you're afraid of getting old, you're afraid of ending up in a nursing home. Do you know, beloved, that the Lord has an answer for you, for every one of these fears? Let's talk, first of all, about the fear of getting sick. Some of you, beloved, are really being tormented by the enemy through this.

I know people, they spend hours just researching little symptoms they have in their body on the Internet and before they're done they've got it all. I mean they have made themselves sick. I want you to know, beloved; God has not given us a mind to dwell on sickness. He's given us a mind to dwell on health. The Bible says: If he that raised Jesus dwells in us then he will also give life to our mortal bodies. We need to believe, beloved, that even though the body is decaying and aging that the Spirit of God within us, the Spirit of life and health, can keep us healthy even in a body that's aging. I'm not saying that your body won't have some of the symptoms of aging, that'll you'll, you know, you won't be able to do the things that you used to do when you're young but you shouldn't forecast your future, you know, in sickness. You should forecast your future in health.

See, the Bible says about the patriarchs that they died at an advanced age. Some of them were weak in their body but the Scripture also says that they were satisfied that God had blessed them in every way and they were full of life. I'm going to read now from the Book of Genesis, chapter number 25, verse 8: "The grass withers and the flowers fade but the Word of God abides forever". This is Abraham. Listen what the Lord said about Abraham, his life when he was old. Once again, Genesis, chapter number 25, verse 8; hear the Word of God: And Abraham breathed his last. He's an old man now.

I'm sure he's probably limping, maybe walking with a cane, maybe his eyesight wasn't what it once was but listen what he was like at the end of his life, 25, verse 8, Genesis: And Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man, listen to this, and satisfied with life. He was gathered to his people and the Scripture says that God had blessed him, beloved, in every way. This is what it says of the patriarch. So when we read about their life, yeah, they grew old but, beloved, they didn't grow old in a state of total suffering. We need to believe God, beloved, that his grace is sufficient. Even the theme of suffering, we shouldn't be afraid of suffering.

You know we look at the Apostle Paul's life and the prophets kept on warning the Apostle Paul that when he was getting to the end of his journey that he was going to go into Jerusalem and they said that when he got into Jerusalem he was going to be persecuted, he was going to be put in chains, he was going to be thrown into prison, and they were warning him, and, you know, that would be pretty scary to a natural man. You're going to be arrested, you're going to be beaten, and you're going to be put in prison. Let me read the Book of Acts, chapter 20, first of all, verse 22. I'm trying to encourage you... some of you, you're not afraid of dying but you're afraid of suffering, you're afraid of getting old and suffering.

I want to command you and encourage you today, beloved, to defeat this fear of suffering. Do not be afraid of anything. God's grace is sufficient. There is nothing to fear. God will be with you and that means wherever you're going to be, God's grace is going to be active in your situation. His power and presence is going to be with you, going before you. He's going to be a shield for you like he said to Abraham. Hear the Word of God once again. I'm going to read now from Acts, chapter 20. We're talking about Paul and how he knew that in the future he was going to have to suffer some things but let's see how Paul responded to it and let's pray for the Lord to strengthen us by his Spirit with strength so we would not be afraid of what we're going to face when we're older, knowing that God's going to be with us.

Remember, Jesus said, "In the world you're going to have tribulation". That means pressure, challenges, struggles, but Yeshua said, "But be of good cheer, be confident because I've overcome the world". That means that his victory in us and in our life is greater than anything that we're going to face or suffer and that we shouldn't be afraid of it. In fact, he says we should be joyful because we got such a great victory through it and over it. Hear the Word of God, Acts, chapter 20, verse number 22, they're speaking of Paul: "And now, behold, bound," Paul says, "in spirit I am on my way to Jerusalem not knowing what will happen to me there except," he says in verse 23, "that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city saying that bonds and afflictions await me". "But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself in order that I may finish my course and the ministry which I receive from the Lord Jesus to testify solemnly of the Gospel of the grace of God".

I'm switching now to chapter 21, I'm going one chapter over, continuing this theme in verse number 13, Acts 21, verse 13: Then Paul answered, "What are you doing"? The prophet said, "We're trying to convince them not to go". Actually, let's go to verse 10 of Acts 21: And as he was staying there for some days a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea and coming to us he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: 'In the same way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'" In other words, the prophet is taking the belt and he's binding the belt and he says in the same way that I'm binding this belt, that's what's going to happen to Paul when he goes into Jerusalem. They're going to take him there and bind him.

Listen at the text continues, what happens? Luke is writing and Luke says in verse 12: "And when we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him," they were begging Paul when they heard that when Paul got to Jerusalem they were going to bind him there; that the Jewish people that were unbelievers were going to bind him there and he says, "When we heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem". Then Paul answered, "What are you doing"? Listen what Paul said: "What are you doing weeping and breaking my heart"? "For I am ready not only to be bound but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus".

So Paul had no fear of suffering. Listen, if he didn't have a fear of suffering, if he didn't have a fear of facing his old age in life, of being bound and thrown in prison, and beaten, if he had no fear of that, he says, "I'm not afraid of that". "Don't even talk anymore, I don't even like what you're attitude". "I have no fear of that whatsoever". "I'm ready not only to suffer for Messiah; I'm ready to die for him".

Listen, if he had that strength in his heart, then it's possible for you and I to have that same strength in our heart. We must not be afraid of the future. We must not be afraid of what we're going to face in the future. We must not be afraid of what we may suffer in the future. We need to have, beloved, the strength that Paul had in his inner man. He was strengthened with divine might, with the power that had risen Jesus from the dead, that he had no place for fear. Paul said, "God has not given us a spirit of fear or timidity but of love, and of power, and a sound mind". Jesus commanded his disciples, "Do not be afraid".

We're going to pray right now, beloved, cause it's not enough just to hear. The hearing needs to be mixed with faith and it needs to be mixed with the power and the energizing work of the Ruach Hako-dosh, of the Holy Spirit, activated in our soul. We're going to ask, we're going to ask the Father now, beloved, to strengthen us just like Paul was strengthened, that we will not fear the future. How many want to not be afraid of the future? How many do not want to be afraid of growing old? How many of you don't be afraid of getting sick? How many of you don't want to be afraid of running out of money? We're going to ask God to strengthen our heart like Paul's heart was, that we will not be afraid.

So Father God, we bless you right now in Yeshua's name and Father, we need your help. We're asking for a supernatural energizing, Father, of the Holy Spirit in our soul. We're asking you to strengthen us, Father God, with divine faith. We're asking you, Father God, to strengthen us, God, that we would take a hold of the Word of God and not be afraid according to your command. We're asking you to strengthen us, Father God, to believe your word, that you're going to be with us in the future, that no matter what we face in the future, we don't have to live in fear, that we don't have to tremble, that we can live free because Yeshua said, "Father, if the Son shall set you free, you'll be free indeed". And if we would continue in your Word, we would be free.

So, Father God, we pray together as your people. Father, we have made up our mind by your grace to obey you. We know that it does not please you, that it grieves you when we're living in fear because we're magnifying Satan rather than magnifying you that have said to us, "Be of good cheer and do not be afraid". So, Father, we ask you now to give us the strength we need, supernatural strengthening and energizing, God, in our inner man, that we would rise up on the inside and from this day forward, God, we would declare revolt at fear and crush it under our feet. Strengthen us, Father, from this day forward to tread upon demons and scorpions and the power of the enemy in Yeshua's name.

Father, we bless you today, we love you, and we want to love you by not being afraid. We know, Father God, that your testimony, the testimony of Jesus' goodness, God, the fragrance of Messiah Yeshua is not radiating through our lives and not emanating through our lives when we're living in fear. Father, we know that when we are fearing, we're not trusting you. Father, when we're fearing, we're not loving you. We know, Father, that when we're fearing, we're not in fellowship with you and this grieves us. Father God, we reach out today like that woman of old that took a hold of your Tzitzit, Yeshua, that took a hold of the fringe of your garment.

We ask to receive virtue in our life. Strengthen us, O Father, I pray, with divine might to not fear, to drive the devil and his lies out, Father, with the Word of God to subdue strongholds of fear, to crush them under our feet, and in so doing, Father, glorify you in the process. In Yeshua's name, and I speak for all your people, Father, when we say together amen, amen. Release power, Lord. Release aish, Lord. Release fire. Strengthen us, Lord. You said that we receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon us so strengthen us with power I pray, Father, to rise up, O God, and to crush fear, and Satan, and his lies under our feet in Jesus' name, amen, amen, amen, and amen.

We must not be afraid, beloved, to suffer. I'm considering some of the other things that have been typical areas that the enemy has assaulted us in as I think about fear and I think about witnessing. Some of you are in bondage to the fear of witnessing. You know you're supposed to share your faith. God says that he created us not that we would be buried under a rock but that we'd be like lights on a hill, that men would see our good works and give glory to him in heaven but, beloved, unless we tell people why we're doing good works, unless we tell people about Jesus, even if you're the best person in the world, how will Jesus get the glory? They might just think it's you so we've got to not only have good fruit from our life and the things that we do in the disposition of our personalities and the way that we relate to people in the calmness of our spirit, not only does there need to be the presence emanating from our life, beloved, to be witness for Jesus, but the words of the Gospel also need to come from our mouth.

This is why Paul said in the Book of Romans, "How shall they call upon him whom they've not believed, and how shall they believe unless there's a preacher"? "How good and beautiful are the feet of those that bear good tidings of good news". And so, the point is that some of us, beloved, are in the fear of the enemy when it comes to sharing our faith. You're afraid of being rejected, you're afraid of being disliked, you're afraid of what somebody thinks about you, beloved, this is a terrible, wicked fear. Jesus said if we're ashamed of he and his words in this wicked and adulterous generation, then he's going to be ashamed of us, he said, when he comes again in the glory of his Father.

So we must recognize that we don't have a choice; we have to overcome the fear of men. We have to shut off the fear of witnessing and you can do it. What you need to do, beloved, is just step out in faith into obedience. You may get rejected at times. That's part of the price of following the Lord. Jesus said, "Whoa to you if all men speak well of you but blessed are you if you are persecuted for righteousness sake". It's a good thing to be rejected sometime because of your witness because, beloved, we're not after the acceptance of the world, we're after the acceptance of God. Jesus said, "How can you believe when you seek the glory that comes from man rather than the glory that comes from the only begotten God". The way to get free, beloved, from the fear of witnessing, start to do it. Don't let the fear of man stop you. The Book of Proverbs tells that the fear of man is a snare.

Another fear, beloved, that we must declare war on is simply the fear of evil, the fear of the devil. You know, there's a lot of Christian people, they love to hear about God, they love to talk about God, but when you start talking to them about the reality of the devil, they want to turn away, they want to leave, they don't want to hear anything about it, cause they're afraid of the devil and they're afraid of evil but I want you to know, beloved, the devil is real and evil's real, and some of God's people are afraid of it yet Jesus told us that he's given us power over all the authority of the enemy and so we need to crush the fear of evil, beloved, by having faith in what the Spirit of God says. Greater is he that's in us than he that is in the world. We're talking about overcoming fear. The way to overcome fear, beloved, is to take God at his word, to grip it, to take a hold of it, to receive it, and then to use it against our fear.

I remember as a young person, about 15 years old, before I knew the Lord, most of you know my story, I tell my whole story in my book called Awakening to Messiah, my spiritual autobiography, you can get it online at our website or through the 800 number but I tell the story in the book I believe that when I was a young person, beloved, I was terrified of the devil. I hate to admit this but before I saw the Lord, I was like 15 years old, and I remember seeing the movie The Exorcist, and even in the synagogue, even though in the synagogue they never talked to me about the reality of the devil, when I saw that movie, The Exorcist, I advised nobody to see that movie, there's nothing good in it but when I saw that movie, beloved, even though the synagogue never told me that there was devil, I knew when I saw that movie that they couldn't have made a movie like that if there was no evil and no devil because you don't make a movie with all kinds of evil if evil didn't exist.

The only reason the movie exists is cause evil's already in the atmosphere. So when I saw that movie, beloved, I got terrified. I saw that little girl in the movie get possessed by the devil, and I saw what happened to that little girl in the movie, and I said to myself, "If it happened to her, how do I know it won't happen to me"? And I was absolutely terrified. Here I'm 15 years old, I'm so afraid, I'm afraid to be in my house alone after this movie. I would go to bed at night terrified. I would lay in my bed at night cause I couldn't sleep cause I was so afraid. I would wait for my parents to go to sleep and when they would go to sleep, I'd be listening at the door of their room making sure they were sleeping, when they would go to sleep, then what I would is I would sneak into their room, I would gently open up the door and I would sleep on the ground.

They didn't even know I was there. I would sleep on the floor next to their bed. I was so afraid of being in my room alone. I was afraid of the devil coming to possess me but I want you to know, beloved, hallelujah, I'm completely and totally set free from that fear in the name of Jesus. Jesus has set me free from many fears. I've got a long way to go to be completely free from fear but I want you to know, beloved, Jesus has set me free by using his Word. I'm not afraid of the devil anymore cause I have the Word of God. Greater is he that sent me than he that is in the world. I have living, resurrected Savior that openly triumph over all the host of hell, that sits in the heavens right now. He's the head and I'm part of his body. I am not afraid of you, Satan. I'm not afraid of evil.

The Word of God, beloved, is our strength. We need to seize it and not let anything else in. Using the Word of God, having faith in the Word of God, using it as a tool and a weapon is your answer and your secret, beloved, for victory over fear but as long as you let the devil keep beating you up, as long as your passive, as long as you don't do anything about these fears that are assaulting some of you day and night, you're going to keep being tormented. I want you to know, beloved; the devil is not going to go away until you make him go away. You have to drive him away. You can drive him away, beloved, if you cry out to the Lord to be strengthened by his Spirit and if you use his Word, when you find yourself getting afraid what do you do? You bring yourself back, you call, you cast your care upon the Lord, and you continue to use the Word of God.

You see, beloved, we must magnify God over our fears. Whatever your fear is, you need to magnify God over your fear. If your fear is the fear of getting sick, no, God, beloved, is bigger than your body and Jesus is your Healer. Jesus said he took our infirmities and our sickness in his own body on the tree so Jesus, we're believing that you took sickness from me and I'm relying on you and clinging to you to walk in divine health. If you're afraid of losing money, you cling to Jesus. Jesus, I thank you that you own the cattle of a thousand hills and you told me that I shouldn't worry about running out of food or running out of clothing. You told me all I needed to do was seek your face and you're going to take care of everything else.

I know it's a scary thing to be facing an economy that's in the condition that it is but, beloved, nevertheless, it was scary for Israel when they walked into the Promised Land, and they saw the giants living there, and they seemed like grasshoppers in their eyes, and yet God said, "Do not fear them; you shall surely take possession of the land". God's Word is true. It will not fail. It's our only hope and it's our only anchor. Your answer and my answer for defeating our fears is the Word, beloved, of God. Regardless of what your fear is, there's a Scripture in the written Word of God that you can use, beloved, to combat that fear. I want to encourage you today, beloved, if you're serious about loving God, this is not an option. We need to magnify the Lord above our fears.

So Father, we give glory to your great name today. Satan is not God, fear is not God, you are God and Father, we will not make ourselves the center of the universe. We will make you the center of the universe. Whatever our fear is, Father God, it's crushed under your feet.

Jesus is Lord, Jesus reigns and Jesus, you said, "All authority on heaven and earth is given to you," and you commanded us, "do not be afraid". Jesus said, "Only believe, do not be afraid and you will be made well". And I am saying to you by the power of God this morning, only believe, do not be afraid and you will be made well. I'm going to say it again. Only believe, do not be afraid and you will be made well.